We would do well to pay attention to edible leaves

By Eileen Cox

If you are driving going East on Lamaha Street you will see a small Saijan tree laden with flowers. Little do the owners know that they have a small gold mine on their land. The flowers and leaves of the Saijan tree are edible. So are the leaves of the Cassava plant, when cooked. The leaves of the Saijan are tasty when cooked in coconut milk and the flowers can be sprinkled on any meal when cooked for a minute or two.

Years ago, when I advocated the eating of leaves, there were some consumers who laughed and said, “We are not cows.”

It seems that we are prejudiced against the small leaves. We hanker after Calaloo, the bigger the leaves, the better. We eat Cabbage and Eddo leaf but the small leaves are out of our range.